Stephan Lorenzen holds an MA from the University of Zurich and a PhD from the Australian National University in social anthropology. Over the last 12 years Stephan’s research has focused on resource management and development in Indonesia, including irrigation, forests, and more recently mining. As an applied anthropologist, Stephan conducted research for governments, non-government organisations, local communities, profit-oriented organisations, and academic institutions. Stephan teaches the courses ‘Critically Assessing Contemporary Development Practice’ and supervising the ‘Development Internships’ for the Master of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development, and also teaches ‘Applied Environmental and Resource Management’ in the Environmental Management and Development Program at the Crawford School of Public Policy.

Research interests

The anthropology of contemporary Indonesia and Southeast Asia; environmental management; irrigated agriculture; rural development; Local communities and mining, with particular reference to Indonesia.

Key publications

• 2010 (forthcoming) Dynamic Histories and Identity Politics in a Sulawesi Frontier (with Dr A. Malhi).
• 2010 Changing Realities – Perspectives on Balinese Rice Cultivation (with Rachel P. Lorenzen), Human Ecology, 2011, Volume 39, Number 1, 29-42
• 2008 Institutionalizing the Informal: Irrigation and Government Intervention in Bali (with Rachel P. Lorenzen), Development 51/1:77-82.
• 2008 Poverty Reduction and Social Development in ASEAN: Towards an ASEAN Roadmap for the Implementation of the Millennium Development Goals Plus (with Dr. Kimberley McClean and Prof. Peter Warr). Final Report REPSF II Project No. 07/007, April 2008.
• 2006 "I am just borrowing water, but I will return it in an hour": The interdependence of informal and formal institutions in Balinese irrigation management. 11th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons.

Career highlights

Postdoctoral Fellow, ANU (2008-2010); Business Development Manager, ANU Enterprise (2007-08); ANU Doctoral Candidate (2003-2007); Project team leader for PanEco Switzerland (1997-98).

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